Monday, July 26, 2010

ExQuisite InVitation: Community-Minded Etsy Artist

We are happy to introduce ExQuisite InVitation as our third "Community-Minded Etsy Artist" Feature! Not only is Chonte's work beautiful, well made (and obviously made with love too!), but she is generously involved in bettering her community through her shop and her art. ExQuisite InVitation donates leftover paper scraps to schools for young children to play with. The shop is also a part of a wonderful new cause called, "Wish Upon a Wedding." Uncovered Artistry also wishes the best for this artist's grandmother, who is the inspiration behind her community involvement.

What do you make?

Wedding Stationery and other related items. At ExQuisite InVitation, our goal is to give you the customized handmade wedding invitations and paper items you've always dreamed of with a fabuluxe look!. Invitations that reflects your unique personality and style. None of our invitations are mass produced so be rest assured every corner rounded, ribbon tied, or embellishment added has been done by our hands with love. At ExQuisite InVitation we offer invitations in all styles: single, bi-fold, pocketfolds and pouchettes.

My inspiration stems from all that the earth has to offer. From grass, the ocean, or a wall color...this is where I get it from. When I'm designing an invitation I think of it from a prospective of getting dressed in the morning. The paper is my body and all the layered paper and printing is my clothing. As a woman I can never leave home without my jewelry so this is where the ribbon, crystals and charms as well as feathers come into place...I mean really! Who ever wants to go out looking plain?

I studied fashion design in undergrad at the Fashion Institute of Technology and like so many students changed my major to finance....why? After 8yrs of number crunching boredom and many birthday's and weddings in which I was asked to design invitations I thought hey, "I miss designing" and I love paper...the rest is history!

I have a 2 yr. old in daycare and as we all know they come home with the best art projects from school so for the past year I have been donating my scraps to the school to be reused and recycled by children ages 1-5.

ExquisiteInvitation is also a "Wish Grantor" of Wish Upon a Wedding: http://wishuponawedding.org/how-to-help/ . Wish upon a Wedding was established just this year and is the world's first nonprofit wish granting organization providing weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness and life-altering circumstances...Vendors donate items and/or their services to give these couples the wedding of their dreams!

Why did you decide to make a difference through your Etsy shop?

I've always been a giver but after my grandmother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer last year... philanthropy is in my heart!

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Our mission is to support the entrepreneurial efforts of domestic and sexual abuse survivors, individuals who, more than most, need the empowerment and freedom fostered by entrepreneurship. Uncovered Artistry supports the businesses of domestic and sexual abuse survivors by displaying their shops in our boutique and providing them with small business resources. We strive to create a community of survivors, ultimately aiding them in their efforts to break the cycle of violence and abuse. www.UncoveredArtistry.com